Auto injector for oxygen reduced packaging

Abstract

The present invention relates to an auto injector (1) comprising a prefilled liquid medicament container, a hollow auto injector body (2) housing the medicament container. The auto injector body (2) has an elongated part, a first end side (21) and a second end side (22) and at least one through hole (3) arranged between the end sides (21, 22). The through holes (3) allow for flow of gas through the auto injector body (2) when the auto injector body (2) houses the medicament container. The invention further relates to a method comprising inserting the auto injector (1) into the package via an opening in a non-inert environment, and, in a non-inert environment and under atmospheric pressure: replacing the air in the package with inert atmosphere by one or several cycles of removing air and inserting inert gas through the opening, wherein the air and inert gas in part flows through the at least one through hole (3) of the auto injector (1). The method further comprises sealing the opening under vacuum.

The invention claimed is: 
     
       1. An auto injector for administrating a medical composition, the auto injector comprising:
 a prefilled liquid medicament container comprising the medical composition, 
 a hollow auto injector body defining a space housing the medicament container, wherein the auto injector body is elongated having an elongated part, a first end side and a second end side opposite the first end side, and 
 at least one through hole arranged through the auto injector body between the first and second end sides, whereby the at least one through hole allow for flow of gas through the auto injector body when the auto injector body houses the medicament container, and 
 wherein the medicament container is at least partly transparent and the auto injector body is provided with at least two apertures arranged on opposite sides of the medicament container allowing for visual control of the medical composition inside the container, wherein the apertures form a visual line through the auto injector body which is non-parallel with the longitudinal axis of the auto injector body, and 
 wherein the at least one through hole is connected with the at least two apertures inside the auto injector such that the gas can flow between the at least one through hole and the apertures. 
 
     
     
       2. The auto injector according to  claim 1 , wherein the at least one through hole each comprises two through hole openings. 
     
     
       3. The auto injector according to  claim 2 , wherein the through hole openings have a diameter equal to or larger than 0.5 mm. 
     
     
       4. The auto injector according to  claim 2 , wherein at least one through hole opening is located partly on an end side and partly on the elongated part of the auto injector such that the opening is located on the edge of the end side. 
     
     
       5. The auto injector according to  claim 2 , wherein the at least one through hole comprises at least two through holes with through hole openings symmetrically arranged on the first and second end sides. 
     
     
       6. The auto injector according to  claim 2 , wherein the at least one of the end sides comprises a recess and each through hole opening on that side is arranged at a wall of said recess so that each through hole opening is arranged perpendicular to the end side. 
     
     
       7. The auto injector according to  claim 1 , wherein the medical composition comprises adrenaline. 
     
     
       8. The auto injector according to  claim 1 , wherein the medical composition comprises a chemical oxygen scavenger. 
     
     
       9. A package for an auto injector according to  claim 1 , wherein the package is a pouch and the inside of the pouch is at least 70 mm longer than the length of the auto injector and has a maximum width, at the most narrow part of the pouch, of 30 mm wider than the width of the auto injector. 
     
     
       10. A packaged auto injector set comprising a package for an auto injector, wherein the package is a pouch and the inside of the pouch is at least 70 mm longer than the length of the auto injector and has a maximum width, at the most narrow part of the pouch, of 30 mm wider than the width of the auto injector, and wherein the package is filled with the auto injector according to  claim 1 , and wherein the package filled with the auto injector is snugly arranged in a neoprene sleeve such that the movement of the auto injector relative the package is prevented. 
     
     
       11. A method for filling a package with an auto injector according to  claim 1 , the package comprising an opening, wherein the method comprises:
 inserting the auto injector into the package via the opening in a non-inert environment, and 
 in a non-inert environment and under atmospheric pressure: 
 replacing the air in the package with inert atmosphere by one or several cycles of removing air and inserting inert gas through the opening, wherein the air and inert gas in part flows through the at least one through hole of the auto injector, 
 and 
 sealing the opening under vacuum. 
 
     
     
       12. The method according to  claim 11 , wherein the air is removed using a nozzle type vacuum sealing machine. 
     
     
       13. An auto injector for administrating a medical composition, the auto injector comprising:
 a prefilled liquid medicament container comprising the medical composition, 
 a hollow auto injector body defining a space housing the medicament container, wherein the auto injector body is elongated having an elongated part, a first end side and a second end side opposite the first end side, and 
 at least one through hole arranged through the auto injector body between the first and second end sides, whereby the at least one through hole allow for flow of gas through the auto injector body when the auto injector body houses the medicament container, and 
 wherein the medicament container is at least partly transparent and the auto injector body is provided with at least two apertures arranged on opposite sides of the medicament container allowing for visual control of the medical composition inside the container, wherein the apertures form a visual line through the auto injector body which is non-parallel with the longitudinal axis of the auto injector body, and 
 wherein the at least two apertures are arranged as a through hole through the auto injector body which is perpendicular to the at least one through hole arranged between the first end side and the second end side.